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A lush forest may be popping up soon in Times Square

Brooklyn ecologist Marielle Anzelone is working to bring a forest to the middle of Times Square. Anzelone wants to make people forget that they are in the middle of the city for a while, and to do that, she’s wants to bring in trees, shrubs and wildflowers to create a pop-up forest where you may least expect to find one.

Anzelone has worked long and hard to preserve plant life in the city. Some, like her battle to save a 42-acre woodland on Staten Island, have proven unsuccessful. Still, she believes that nature and the city don’t have be mutually exclusive.

Anzelone raised $40,000 in one month through Kickstarter to bring her pop-up forest idea to life. Since then, she has been working with the Times Square Alliance to bring the forest to the plazas between West 45th and 47th streets and Broadway and Seventh Avenue. She hopes, if all goes according to plan, to have a lush forest in place by May 2018.

Once the forest pops-up, visitors could be greeted by “forest rangers” who would guide people through the forest and answer questions. After the forest has served its mission of bringing awareness to environmental justice, the plants will be removed and donated to public schools.